Water ski construction



y 1967 R. c. PENNEY 3,319,276

WATER SKI CONS TRUCT ION Filed May '7, 1965 f fliq. 7.

- INVENTOR. RICHARD C. PENNEY BY 4ndrus Star-Kc;

United States Patent 3,319,276 WATER SKI CONSTRUCTION Richard C. Penney, White Bear Lake, Minn, assignor of one-half to Caryl Weinhagen, White Bear Lake, Minn. Filed May 7, 1965, Ser. No. 454,131 13 Claims. (Cl. 9-310) This invention relates to a water ski and more particularly to an improved water ski construction having greater stability, particularly for slalom skiing.

The conventional water ski is provided with one or more keel strips which are secured to the lower surface of the rear of the ski and provide a certain degree of stability which tends to prevent lateral slippage of the ski when turning or cutting. In more advanced skiing, and particularly slalom skiing, greater lateral stability is required. Thus, slalom skis generally include a relatively thin metal fin which extends downwardly from the rear of the ski. The fin serves to dig into the water whtn turning or cutting sharply and prevents slippage of the ski in a lateral direction. In addition, the conventional slalom ski is often provided with a tapered rear end which reduces the width or area of the rear of the ski and decreases the displacement and drag.

The present invention is directed to an improved water ski construction which provides greater stability, particularly in slalom skiing, without an increase in displacement at the rear of the ski. According to the invention, the rear or trailing end of the ski is provided with a longitudinally extending recess or slot which divides the trailing end into a pair of tails. Mounted beneath each tail is a longitudinally extending fin. The combination of the split tails and the fins provides positive advantages over conventional water ski constructions.

The water ski of the invention provides a definite improvement in stability when cutting or turning and enables the skier to hold a turn more effectively when cutting around a slalom buoy. When cutting or turning at a sharp angle, the ski tends to tilt at a substantial angle to the horizontal. With a single, centrally located fin, as in the conventional water ski, the fin may completely leave the water during cutting as the ski is tilted. However, with the water ski of the invention, utilizing a pair of fins located beneath the spaced tails, at least one of the fins will be digging into the water at all times regardless of the angle or tilt of the ski.

The ski of the present invention also provides advantages when traversing across the wake of the boat or across choppy water. When traversing across the wake, the skier is moving at an angle to the direction of boat travel and depending upon the size of the wake or the choppiness of the water, the ski may tend, momentarily, to leave the water with the result that the momentum of the boat will pull the skier in the direction of boat travel. This results in the skier tending to skid or skip across the choppy water in the direction of boat travel, causing the skier to lose the angle of attack on the slalom buoy and thereby making the approach to the buoy at a more difficult angle.

With the ski of the invention, the split tails provide a substantial width for the trailing end of the ski, increasing the stability when traversing over the wake or across rough water, and the double fins aid in preventing skidding in the direction of boat travel when traversing the wake.

As a further advantage, the ski construction of the invention enables the skier to rise more easily out of the water when starting on a single ski. The overall width of the split tail provides increased lateral stability when rising out of the water.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a water ski construction of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the ski shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of water ski;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the water ski shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a second modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the ski shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third modified form of the invention using outrigger fins; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of a ski shown in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a water ski 1 having an upturned tip 2 which is tapered inwardly toward the longitudinal centerline of the ski. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body portion of the ski is relatively flat, but it is contemplated that the ski can also be the banana type in which the entire ski is bowed or curved from the tip to the trailing end.

The ski 1 includes a conventional toepiece 3 and movable heel clamp 4. In addition, a slalom toepiece 5 is mounted behind the heel clamp 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the side edges of the ski 1 are necked down, as indicated at 6, at a location behind the toepiece 5 to provide a waist, and the side edges at the rear of the ski flare outwardly so that the rear portion of the ski has substantially the same width as the central portion or body of the ski.

According to the invention, the rear or trailing end of ski 1 is provided with an elongated recess 7 which is located substantially along the longitudinal centerline of the ski. The recess 7 divides the trailing end of the ski into a pair of elongated tails 8 and the recess 7 terminates to the rear of the necked-down or waist portion 6 of the ski.

A thin metal fin 9 is secured to the lower surface of the ski beneath each of the tails 8 and each fin is located generally along the centerline of the respective tail.

The combination of the spaced tails 3 and the fins 9 provides definite advantages in stability over the conventional water ski construction. The pair of spaced fins provides greater stability when cutting or turning sharply in that regardless of how abrupt the angle of tilt of the ski, at least one of the fins 9 will always be digging into the water to prevent lateral slippage of the ski. The waist portion 6 also adds to the stability when cutting at sharp angles in that the edge of the ski at the waist will also tend to dig into the water and prevent lateral slippage.

As previously mentioned, the width of the rear or trailing end of the ski, across the tails S, is substantially the same as the width of the central portion of the ski. This provides greater stability when reversing across the wake or choppy water. In addition, the width of the trailing end of the ski improves lateral stability when the skier is rising out of the water on one ski. With the use of a conventional slalom ski which is tapered at the rear, the lateral stability is reduced making it very difficult for most skiers, except the expert, to rise out of the water on a single ski. However, with the ski construction of the invention, the overall width of the rear end of the ski is increased which improves the stability when a skier is rising out of the water and tends to prevent side slipping.

This increased surface area at the trailing end provides greater lift to aid the skier in rising out of the water when starting.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified form of the invention which includes a ski It? having a pair of recesses 11 in the trailing end which correspond to recess '7 of the first embodiment. Recesses 11 divide the trailing end of the ski into a series of spaced tails 12 similar to tails 8 of the first embodiment. The forward ends 13 of recesses 11 are generally V-shaped as shown in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the width of the ski is substantially constant from the central portion to the trailing end and the ski does not include the waist portion 6, as in the first embodiment. A fin 14 is attached to the undersurface of each tail 12 and the tails 12 and fins 14 function in a manner similar to tails 8 and fins 9 to provide greater stability for the ski. In some instances it may be desired to only secure fins 14 to the outer tails in the series rather than to each tail.

FIGS. and 6 illustrate a second modified form of the invention in which the water ski I5 is adapted to be used for jumping. The ski 15 includes an elongated recess 16 in the trailing end which divides the trailing end into a pair of tails 17, similar to tails 8 of the first embodiment. I

As the ski shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is adapted to be used for jumping from an inclined ramp, the deep fins 9 are not used and instead, 'a. pair of tapered keel strips 18 are secured to the bottom portion of each of the tails 17.

In addition to keel strips 18, a central keel strip 19 is located along the longitudinal centerline of the ski at a location forward of the recess 16. The keel strips 18 and 19 function to provide increased lateral stability for the ski 15 over that of the conventional ski construction. In addition, the recessed rear end provides reduced displacement at the rear of the ski to allow the ski to enter the water more deeply upon landing, thereby cushioning the landing and keeping the tips of the skis up for an easy recovery. The wide trailing end of the ski also aids in tracking over choppy Water or across the wake of the boat, as previously described.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another modification of the invention which includes a ski 20 having a tapered trailing end 21. In this embodiment an outrigger 22 is attached to the trailing end of the ski and the Outrigger includes a generally flat plate 23 which is secured transversely of the ski by a series of screws 24. The plate 23 extends outwardly from the side edges of the ski and a fin 25 is secured to each end of the plate 23 and extends downwardly from the plate 23. The fins 25 are similar in shape to fins 9, as shown in the first embodiment.

The structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is adapted to be used with existing skis to provide the skis with characteristics similar to that of the skis shown in FIGS. 1-6. In use, the ski shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 acts in a manner similar to that of the other embodiments with the fins 25 providing greater lateral stability on sharp cutting or turning and the increased width of the trailing end of the ski, through use of the outrigger 22, providing greater displacement and stability when traversing across choppy water or across the wake of the boat and on rising out of the water.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A water ski, comprising a body having at least one elongated axially extending recess in the trailing end portion to divide the trailing end portion into a series of spaced tail portions, and a stability member secured to the underside of at least two of said tail portions and extending longitudinally of the body.

2. A water ski, comprising a body having a series of laterally spaced longitudinally extending tails in the rear end portion, and a fin secured to the undersurface of each tail, each fin being disposed generally centrally of the respective tail and extending longitudinally of the body.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the forward end of each fin terminates to the rear of the forward end of the recess.

4. A water ski, comprising a body having a series of lateral-1y spaced longitudinally extending tails at the trailing end, the side edges of the body deviating laterally inward forwardly of the tails to provide the body with a waist of reduced width, and thin stability members secured to the undersurfaces of the tails and extending longitudinally of the body.

5. A water ski, comprising a body having an elongated axially extending recess in the rear end portion to divide the rear end portion into a pair of spaced tails, the Width of the rear portion of the body containing the tails being approximately equal to the width of the central portion of the body, and a fin secured to the lower surface of each tail and extending longitudinally of the body.

6. A water ski, comprising a body having an upturned forward end and having an elongated longitudinally extending recess in the rear end to divide the rear end into a pair of spaced longitudinally extending tails, the side edges of the tails being substantially parallel and the side edges of the body deviating laterally inward at a position forwardly of the tails to provide the body with a Waist of reduced width, and a fin secured to the undersurface of each tail, said fin extending longitudinally of the body and having a generally curved lower peripheral edge.

7. A water ski comprising a body having an elongated longitudinally extending recess in the rear end to divide the rear end into a pair of spaced tails, a keel strip secured to the undersurface of each tail, each keel strip disposed generally centrally of the respective tail and extending longitudinally of the body, and a central keel strip secured to the undersurface of the body and located along the longitudinal centerline of the body immediately forward of the forward end of said recess.

8. The structure of claim '7 in which the lower surfaces of the keel strips taper downwardly in a direction from the forward to the rear end of the body.

9. A water ski, comprising a body having an elongated axially extending recess in the trailing end to di vide the trailing end into a pair of spaced tails, the side edges of the body extending from the central portion of the body to the trailing end being substantially straight and parallel, and each tail having a substantially uniform Width throughout its length, and a stability member secured to the underside of each tail and extending general-ly parallel to said side edges.

19. A water ski, comprising a body having an upturned forward end and a trailing end, a transverse member secured to the trailing end portion of the body and extending laterally beyond the side edges of the body, and a lateral stability element attached to each end portion of the transverse member, each lateral stability element being generally parallel to the other stability element and being spaced laterally outward from the respective side edge of the body and extending general-1y parallel to the longitudinal centerline of said body.

11. A water ski, comprising a body having an upturned forward end and a trailing end, a transverse member secured to the trailing end portion of the body and extending laterally beyond the side edges of the body, and a fin secured to each end portion of the transverse member, each fin being spaced laterally outward from the respective side edge of the body, said fins being generally parallel and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal centerline of said body, and each fin extending downwardly a substantial distance beneath the level of the underside of the body whereby said fins will dig into the water and prevent lateral slippage.

12. A water ski, comprising a body having an upturned forward end and a trailing end with the side edges of said trailing end being tapered inward-1y toward the longitudinal centerline of the body, a fin spaced laterally outward from each side edge of said trailing end, each fin extending downwardly a substantial distance beneath the level of the underside of the body whereby said fins will dig into the water and prevent lateral slippage, and means for attaching each fin to the body.

13. The structure of claim 12, in which the lateral spacing between the fins is approximately equal to the width of the central portion of the body of the ski.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1959 Norway.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED E. CORRIGAN, Examiner. 

1. A WATER SKI, COMPRISING A BODY HAVING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED AXIALLY EXTENDING RECESS IN THE TRAILING END PORTION TO DIVIDE THE TRAILING END PORTION INTO A SERIES OF SPACED TAIL PORTIONS,AND A STABILITY MEMBER SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID TAIL PORTIONS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BODY. 